Serving Up Dessert in a Morning Cereal Bowl [AUDIO]

Most parents wouldn’t think of giving their children dessert for breakfast, but the Environmental Working Group has found that many cereals that are marketed to children have more sugar than many junk food treats.

A one-cup serving of Honey Smacks cereal has more sugar than a Hostess Twinkie and a cup of Cap’n Crunch or Apple Jacks has more sugar than three Chips Ahoy cookies. Also on the list were Post Golden Crisp, Quaker Oats Oh’s, Kellogg’s Froot Loops Marshmallow and Apple Jacks.

So, what should parents do when looking for a good cereal? “Instead of giving a blanketed ‘x’ number of grams of sugar per serving, I think an easier way for parents to look at the boxes when looking for cereals is for them to ask themselves, is there fiber in this cereal for my child?” said Dr. Felicia Stoler, Nutritionist and Exercise Physiologist. “Cereals should have at least four grams of fiber per serving along with whole grains.”

“You want to make sure you have some protein and some carbohydrate in your child’s diet at breakfast time so they have the basic nutrients they need to get their day started,” said Stoler.

Stoler said some sugar is o.k. but it’s important to make sure there are other nutrients in a box of cereal, “Parents should ask themselves if there some other benefit to this food other than it tasting good and is it made with whole grains?”